In December 2000 Professor William M Gray et al, forecasted that the 2001 hurricane season would be a below average hurricane season. However, at the beginning of the 2001 hurricane season, this team updated their forecast on June 07, 2001 to indicate that the season would be above average consisting of 12 named storms, 7 hurricanes and 3 intense hurricanes. The long-term averages are: Tropical Storms-10, Hurricanes-6 and Major Hurricanes-2. (NOAA, 2001).

Tropical Storm Jerry threatened the islands
of the Eastern Caribbean namely Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent
and the Grenadines, and Tobago during the period October 6th to 8th, 2001.
The system with maximum wind strength of 50mph did not adversely affect
any of CDERA Participating States.

At 11:OOam Eastern Caribbean Time, the
center of newly formed Tropical Depression 12 formed near 11.2N 51.1W or
approximately 740m1s East of the Windward Islands. The Depression is moving
towards the WNW near 14mph with sustained winds of 30mph.

Reports from an Air Force hurricane hunter
plane indicate that Chantal no longer has a center of circulation, and
the system has become a strong tropical wave. As of 8 p.m. EDT Thursday,
the dissipating center of Tropical Storm Chantal was estimated in the vicinity
of latitude 13.0 north, longitude 61.0 west or near St. Vincent in the
Windward Islands. The wave is moving westward near 29 mph, and a rapid
westward motion is expected to continue for the next day or so, according
to NOAA's National Hurricane Center.

Tropical Storm Chantal was downgraded to
a tropical wave on Thursday night (Aug. 16). The National Weather Service
discontinued all storm watches and warnings for the islands of the Lesser
Antilles, where Chantal was expected to strike.

This message is not an official hurricane
warning or alert for any country.

1. The National Weather Center in Miami
reports that at 1200 GMT, 16 August 2001, the center of tropical storm
Chantal was located near latitude 12.9 north and longitude 54.0 west, or
about 370 miles or 595 km east of Barbados in the Windward Islands. Maximum
sustained winds have increased to 40 mph (65 km/hr) with higher gusts.

At 11 a.m. EDT, the center of tropical
storm Chantal was located near latitude 13.1 north, longitude 55.3 west
or about 280 miles east of Barbados. Chantal is moving toward the west
near 26 mph, and this motion is expected to continue during the next 24
hours. On this track Chantal should be moving through the Windward Islands
Thursday night, according to NOAA's National Hurricane Center.